Black History Spotlight

John Nash, C.D.T.

John C. Nash is a board certified dental lab technician. He is a 1980 graduate of Triton College where he received an A.S. degree in dental laboratory technology. John has been with the College of Dentistry since 1980. In 1984 he joined the UIC Craniofacial Center where he presently serves in the Maxillofacial Prosthetics Clinic as Chief Dental Technician.

In 1988, John also received a certificate of completion in dental implantology construction from Northwestern College of Dentistry. Through his position in the Maxillofacial Prosthetics Clinic, John is responsible for the oral prosthetic reconstruction of the mouths and faces of patients. Many of the patients have had radical surgery because of mouth or head cancer, an accident, or are born with developmental deformities of the mouth or skull.

Because of his unique and interesting work, John serves as ambassador for both the UIC Medical Center and College of Dentistry. He routinely speaks to students and hosts' students and interns in his lab. Student's eyes light up when they hear his stories and see his work. He is one of few African Americans engaged in his line of work and he is a tireless motivator to our African American community. This year the National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology recognized John Nash for his 25 years as a Certified Dental Technician.

In his leisure time, John enjoys carpentry and gardening growing vegetables and perennial bulbs. John has been married for 27 years and has a daughter who is a sophomore at UIUC and a son that is a senior in high school. John is truly a clinical artist whose work is exhibited in the faces of his patients. He is making Black History at UIC every day.